AN: As always I own nothing pertaining to Pitch Perfect other than 5 characters that you will meet later on in the story. Oh and any of the errors... those are all mine. Ok so as promised, warning. Towards the end of this Chapter is a trigger a domestic abuse trigger.
The next couple of weeks passed without incident though Blayze did tell Beckham how Chloe had barged in on her shower demanding that she sing for her. He laughed at his sisters embarrassment and how she had told the redhead to cover her junk. He wasn't laughing when she got to the end and how Tom had been with Chloe and showed up towards the end of their conversation and leered at her while trying to compliment her voice. She had promised the redhead she would think about the auditions. That was last Friday. It was now Monday and currently at this very moment she was annoyed that her father had woken both her and her brother up. Though she was at least thankful that he hadn't grabbed and dragged her out of her room by her ear like he had with Beckham.
"Funny this dorm doesn't look like your guys's Intro to Philosophy class."
"That's because we are posing a very philosophical question," Beckham began before Blayze joined him. "If we don't go to that class, will it still suck?" they finished in unison.
Their father stared at them shaking his head unwilling to let them see he had found their answer amusing because the class did in fact suck for 90% of students.
"You two need to get out of this room and go to class and socialize,"
"We do get out, we work at the radio station." Beckham interrupted.
"Great that dark old place were the two weirdos are at." Dr Mitchell sarcastically fired off.
"Well, four now." Blayze fired back just as sarcastic.
Dr. Mitchell let out an exasperated sigh before continuing. "Look you two have the ability get a great education, for free I might add, and what are you doing...nothing. You are pissing it away."
"We already told you we didn't want to come here, that we wanted to go to LA start paying our dues..."
"DJing isn't a career Blayze, it's a pipe dream. There are so many talented people out there that are undiscovered or they hit big once and fizzle out just as quick. You need an education to fall back on. Look I know you both resent me for not being around," He trailed off at the twins scoffs, "Fine, give it the year, if you still want to go to LA I'll pay to send you both, but the both of you need to put in the effort here. Join at least one club. You two are supposed to be making memories and having the time of your lives, not holed up in your dorms. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that the two of you stayed out of trouble during frosh week last week but you need to live a little guys."
The twins nodded and their father sighed knowing that was the best he was going to get from them and left the dorm.
Blayze had in fact made a friend with the boy, Jesse, who had been singing to her from the cab. Beckham had fell over laughing at how unashamed Jesse had been and Blayze' mortification over the admission. Turns out Jesse, was an aspiring movie score maker and figured interning at the radio station would look good on a resume later on. She just wasn't willing to tell her father that. For the most part Beckham kept quiet as they stacked cd's listening when Blayze grumbled, venting her frustrations about the task as it wasn't what she had expected but understanding she had to start somewhere and was just glad she wasn't an errand boy like Jesse was. She likes to think it's because Luke liked her better but knows that it's probably because Beckham had intimidated him without even saying a word. Beckham had that effect on people. He was a quiet guy, still very shy due to his having been bullied, but he could throw off a very intense 'don't fuck with me or my sister' vibe when needed. Blayze looked at her watch and cursed,
"Becs, if we are doing this let's go." Blayze yelled at her brother.
Beckham popped out of his bedroom shrugging on a blue and black plaid flannel shirt over his black tank top. He had changed into a pair of relaxed black jeans and was wearing his Doc boots. He was also currently sporting 3 day old scruff as he hadn't bothered to shave the last few days, paired with his artfully tousled hair like he had just rolled out of bed. Blayze was wearing her standard black skinny jeans and a long sleeve grey shirt. They arrived just as what appeared to be the last two people auditioning using the same song and they looked at one another thinking 'Shit'. They didn't know they had to prepare that song for auditions. He watched as Chloe acknowledged that Blayze was there and encouraged her to sing whatever. He hadn't heard Jesse come up behind him as he watched his sister sing Cups.
He stepped out onto the stage once Blayze was done and announced the he was the last one to audition. He looked over at her and she nodded. He took a deep breath and began to sing Rolling in the deep. (AN: the acoustic cover version by Linkin Park.) When he was done, Aubrey looked blown away, completely shocked that he could sing like that. She knew he was musically inclined but had never heard him sing before. Chloe was staring at him like she was trying to place who he was. Beckham wasn't surprised at all that she didn't recognize him. Beckham was six inches taller, lost the baby fat, had dyed his hair an indigo blue and was currently wearing his contacts instead of his glasses. He had avoided being around when she came home from college during holidays and summers unlike, when he knew that Aubrey was home visiting, so she hadn't seen him change and grow like her best friend had. He gave a small smirk and threw a cheeky wink at Aubrey before walking off the stage. Tommy and Justin thanked everyone for coming out and advised that those who got in would be contacted.
Once he was off stage Jesse was rambling a mile a minute. "Holy shit dude! I had no idea you could sing, let alone sing like that!"
Beckham smirked at the astonished boy before responding. "Before today only two people knew that I could sing like that." Out of the corner of his eye Beckham watched as Tom approached his sister and attempted grab her ass, five seconds later he was standing in front of her when he saw Tom raise his hand to hit her when Blayze had elbowed Tom the second she felt his hand. Grabbing Tom's hand, Beckham bent the wrist back at a painful angle, dropping the pretty boy to his knees. He leaned down and snarled in his face "You ever lay a finger on my sister again you will be eating through a straw for the rest of your fucking life after I have permanently rearranged your face for you. Do we have an understanding?" At Tom's nod and pathetic whimper, Beckham let him go with a slight shove causing the older guy to fall on his ass.
"What's going on here?" Aubrey asked as she came around the corner.
"Nothing. Just instilling the lesson of how to keep one's hands to themselves when he tripped over his feet and fell." Beckham replied his eyes daring Tom to say something.
Looking to both Blayze and Jesse who nodded at her unasked question while they both glared at Tom on the floor, Aubrey turned her attention to the pretty boy on the floor. "Tom what are you doing here? Chloe is waiting for you outside for your dinner date like you asked her to."
The unlikely foursome watched as Tom pushed himself of the floor and immediately left the area as fast as he could without running. Once he was gone, Blayze wrapped her arms around her brother holding him tightly as he vibrated with rage. He took a deep breath letting the familiar smell of her shampoo and perfume wash over him, calming his senses before hugging her back asking her softly if she was ok and when she nodded into his chest. She then laughed and slapped his chest when he told her that if she hadn't worn her boots her elbow would have sac'd Tom because she's so short. He kissed the top of her head and told her that he would catch up with her and Jesse in just a minute to head out to the station.
He turned to Aubrey once they were out of earshot. "If anything happens tonight call me. I don't care how late it is I want you to call either myself or Blayze and we will be over asap! After what just happened I know he will end up taking his anger and frustrations out on Chloe once they are alone. I know his type, I've seen it before." Beckham sighed before continuing at Aubrey's silent demand. "A girl I was friends with in school, she was dating this guy who came across as charming, doting and seemingly adoring of my friend. Always surprising her with flowers at school or small gifts. One day I heard her cry out in pain in the hallway, I ran around the corner and he was standing over her hand raised and already in motion, hitting her again. I got there just after the second hit and smashed him head first into the lockers knocked his sorry ass out. I helped her up off the floor and noticed he had ripped her shirt. She apparently had been trying to get away from him. I stripped my shirt off and gave it to her to wear on top of hers so she was covered as we could hear someone coming around the corner. That's how the principal and another teacher found us. Her crying with a split lip and swelling beginning around her eye as well as the beginning of a nasty bruise on her cheek, me shirtless and that piece of shit lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. Her brothers and I had a chat after I drove her home that day. Her ex-boyfriend seemed to have had a terrible accident a few weeks later. Seems he became terribly clumsy and 'fell down' multiple flights of stairs, he spent a few months in traction. Apparently he had started abusing her a few weeks after they started dating, always apologized after, begged her to not leave him, all her friends telling her how lucky she was to be with him because he loved her so much, got to the point she felt stuck. She had been with him almost a year by the time I stumbled upon them in the hallway. One of her other friends had witnessed the abuse first hand and tried convincing her that she needed to get out. My friend was too afraid of what he would do. So this girl ended up having the same look in her eyes when she would look over at my friend that you had two weeks ago in the coffee shop, the same one I see in them now." He looked down at his watch and sighed. "I really need to get going if I have any hope of getting to the station on time Bree. I mean it, call at the first sound of something not right." He gave the older blonde a quick hug and kiss on the forehead before darting out the door and hopping in his truck where Blayze and Jesse were waiting and immediately sped over to the radio station, were they arrived with 2 minutes to spare.
Once at the station Beckham had a quick word with Luke regarding what had happened and just asked the guy if he could keep a lookout for when he wasn't working with his sister. He knew what type of guy Tom was. His fear would keep him a way for maybe two weeks before his anger and ego would have him try again with his sister. Luke agreed without hesitation and even offered to walk her back to the dorms if either Jesse or Beckham wasn't around. A few hours later he got a text from Aubrey saying that Tom had bailed on Chloe and the two spent the night in planning for hood night. Beckham fired off a quick thank you before returning to the monotony that was stacking cd's and albums at the station.
AN: Ok so I cannot stress this enough, if you are in a relationship that isn't healthy, take steps to get out, make a plan. I know it isn't easy and scary as hell but you are strong enough to do it and escape.
If you are a friend or a loved one who sees this shit going on, step up, step in and say something. I don't know about you but I would rather my friend or loved one be safe and hating me than in a toxic relationship that will wind up killing them. There are numbers and support groups out there that can and will help you to help them.